The Desert of Sinai

The last leaves had fallen when I left home, and were rustling under foot to the frosty wind. When I returned every branch was budding, and the May breeze, coming freshly down the river, brought good news of sunshine and summer. It seemed as if a wdnter had been cut out of the year, and that I had scarcely plucked the latest apple when I saw the trees again in blossom.

The journey occupied about iive months in all, — five pleasant months, not soon to be forgotten.

Hastening up to London in a sharp December morning, I there joined the companions of my route, the Rev. Th«mas Wright of Swinton, and two English friends, Mr Poynder and Mr Beddome. Our fellowship throughout was one of unbroken harmony and comfort. Scotland and England, Presbytery and Episcopacy, represented by those who knew how to agree as well as how to differ, held for months kind and agreeable companionship together on sea and land, — in Egypt, in Arabia, and in Syria,

We embarked at Dover on a wintry dawn, under a misty sky, upon a dull green sea. England soon disappears in the haze and Frraico comes slowly into ight, shewing a long low coast stretching to the right. Calais soon makes itself known with its light-house, town-hall, and old church. We come ashore in small boats, and are met on the pier by half-a-dozen of blue-coated soldiers, who politely escort u-^ to the customdiouse, where we prodv.ce cwr passjiorts, tell our ages, professions, destinations, and submit quietly to be treated as criminals, OT nt least as conspirators come to overturn the throne. We grumble at the annoyance, but congratulate ourselves on the difference between this country and our own. Here everybody that lands is handed over to a guard and dealt with as a villain, till he has cleared his character and disprovetl the suspicions by means of his passport. In Britain each stranger that comes, of whatever nation, is bidden welcome, and is treated as honest and good, till his own deeds shall prove the contrary.

We soon start for Paris, which we reach in about eight hours. We linger a day there amid sights of beauty and wonder. Certainly man has spared no pains to make his world fair. With scenes like these before us. it is but too easy to forget that earth is a ruin, that

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sin has eaten into its core, that death and sorrow lie all around, and that we need a “new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (2 Peter iii. 13.)

Dec. 18. 1855. — We left Paris at half-past eight in the evening. The frost was intense; nor could the large bottles of hot water with which we were liberally supplied, keep out the biting cold. We reached Lyons at half-past seven next morning. The day was clear and sunny, but the air was keen, and the ground hard with frost. We would fain have lingered here for a little; but our faces were towards the East, so we pressed on. It was but a glimpse that we could catch of the strange old city, with its tall gloomy houses, its rocks, its quays, its churches, its avenues, its squares. Yet it was something even for an hour here to look upon the “arrowy” Khone with its three bridges, and the more sluggish Saone with its seven. It was to the second century, however, with its rich martyr-memories, that our thoughts went back. Here the aged Pothinus sufiered for Christ; here, too, Irenseus wrote, and taught, and died.

At half-past twelve we started for Marseilles, which we reached late in the evening. As we sailed out next morning we had a fine view of this noble city, with its wide harbour, its yellow rocks, its old forts, its six thousand villas spreading out over the valley. We were now on the waters of the Mediterranean; but the breeze whiich met us as we sailed out of the Gulf of Lyons, proved too fresh for some of us, so that we were driven to our cabins, and kept there during the greater part of our voyage. Yet next day (21st), we erjoyed the sight ot Corsica, with its rugged mountains, streaked with snow. On we went, through the Straits of Bonifacio; then pushing southward, over a somewhat rough sea, and skirting the coasts of Sicily, we “sighted” Malta. It was a calm Sabbath evening when we entered the harbour. The sun had gone down; but the moonlight threw its unclouded silver upon the yellow rocks and the fair blue deep. It seemed a night of summer softness to us who had just come from the land of the cloud and snow. The mingling colours of sea, sky, rock, and moonshine, — azure, gold, and silver, — gave to the scene a rich clear beauty such as one seldom sees....

Valeita, Dec. 24. 1855. — What a fair sunny sprt this little island is! It rises up out of the sea, like some 3’ellow water-lily, S2:)reading out its leaves to the sun; or perhaps, it might better be called the golden clasp that knits together the two continents of the south and north, — Africa and Europe. In language, manners, aspect, buildings, it is partly European, partly Oriental, only with much more of the East than of the West about it. Its language is nearly Arabic, its boats are Egj’ptian, its churches are all after the model of Moslem tombs, and its costumes are Arabian, especially the female; for the Maltese faldette is merely the Eastern head-dress loosened and brought over the shoulders, so as to become an ornament for the person, instead of a veil to hide the face. Walked about the town for an hour or two. Statues of “saints” frown over your head in every street

Priests meet yon at every turn, round and well-fed, — idly sauntering about from morning till night, as unlike ministers of Christ, or successors of the apostles, as can be conceived. It is said they are 2000 in number! As Malta contains about 140,000 inhabitants, there is a priest to every seventy of the people. Through the great kindness of Lady Pirie, we were enabled to see a good deal of the island; and in the company of our brethren Mr Wisely and Mr Tait, we surveyed place after place. ...

St Paul’s Bay, Dec. 2G. 18.55: — I have just been bathing in these calm tideless waters! The patch of white sand which I chose for my bathing-place was nearly opposite the spot where Paul was cast ashore. We climbed the slope above; and while Mr Wright was photographing we wandered about, gazing down on the placid bay. We read the last two chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, and tlioi tried to note the scene in its different parts. Yonder the vessel came drifting onwards from Clauda, seeking some place of refuge. See, they are lightening the ship by casting out its freight. What despair is fixed in their faces as they look up to that sunless, starless sky! Mark how they are listening to the apostle as he exhorts them to be of good cheer. See, as they near yon small promoutoiy on the right, they begin to take soundings, for they have heard the roar of the breakers. Then down go the four anchors to keep them from the dreaded rocks. Day breaks, and they descry an unknown country, where there is a creek or bay “with a slioro.”* Uy) go the aaellor:^, ami the vessel drifts before the gale to the laud. Yundur to the left, there seems a small island where two seas meet, — there the vessel touches the ground and goes to pieces. The sea is covered with the fragments, and on tlicso, the two hundred and seventy-six human beings find their way to land, — all safe! See (we may add) the apostle gathers them round him on yon slope, and there kneeling down he gives thanks for deliverance to “the Ood and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Having so done, he kindles the fire, shakes off the viper, warms and dries himself, and then, turning his steps to Citta Yecchia, he is received by Publius, heals his father, and for three months preaches throughout the island the glad tidings of God’s free love in the gift and death of His beloved Son... As we sat gazing on the blue waters, several of the natives gathered round us. Children brought us heath, lilies, carnations, of great beauty A woman came with water from St Paul’s well. It was in an earthen jug, dirty, and smelling with tobacco; but we drank of it, and found it good. The well was about a quarter of a mile below us, on the road side. We visited it, and found a neat little building over it, with this inscription in Latin: — “AD te vexient omxes nationes ET TE glorificabunt” — (Ps. lxxxvi. 9) “All nations shall come and glorify thee.” An excellent inscrip-

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